Trouble sleeping? Whether you find yourself having a hard time falling asleep, staying asleep, or are just not getting restful sleep you need, you are not alone. A whopping 50 to 70 million adults in the U.S. struggle with some form of sleep disorder, which is overwhelming considering how important sleep is to your physical, psychological, and emotional health. While insomnia has been a challenge for many people for many years, technology has opened up new avenues that can support a good night’s sleep. One things that can really help is listening to something relaxing as you wind down before bed, like a sleep-focused podcast. There are many different types of sleep podcasts, from relaxation music and soothing sounds, to white noise, meditations, and bedtime stories. It’s hard to say which type will help tuck you in the best, but it’s worth a shot to try them all and see what sends you into those deep Zzzzz’s.
So if melatonin, counting sheep, and reading boring textbooks aren’t cutting it for you, try to plug into a sleep podcast before you hit the hay. Here are 15 different sleep podcasts to get you started.
Nothing Much Happens: Bedtime Stories for Grown-Ups
Happy stories? Check. Calming experiences? Check. Detailed descriptions and characters? Check. Kathryn Nicolai reads each story light and bright twice, the second time with slow speech and strategic long pauses to help you fall asleep.
Sleep With Me
Narrator “Dearest Scooter” dishes out bedtimes stories so you can forget about your problems. His stories progressively get more boring until you fall asleep, making it an effective sleep-inducer.
In Our Time
Get ready for boring … this well-researched podcast dives deep into various academic topics, helping you learn and doze off simultaneously. Relive the moments of falling asleep in a college lecture all over again.
Deep Energy Podcast
An ambient podcast that plays natural sounds against an ethereal new age backdrop. Rainstorms, streams, sunsets, ocean waves – for those of you who don’t like listening to people talking or melodious tunes.
Sleepy
There’s a reason why kids love bedtime stories. This podcast, hosted by the soothing voice of Otis Grey, takes you back to the classic bedtime story. Listen to classics like Sherlock Holmes, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, and more.
Stories from the Borders of Sleep
This one is all about fantasy, so dive into your imagination and settle into the calming voice and curated background music of Seymour Jacklin’s stories and poems.
Tracks to Relax: Guided Sleep Meditations
This podcast features soothing exercises and visualizations to send you off into the land of worry-free snoozing.
The Daily Meditation Podcast
This one is not specifically designed to help you sleep, but it is chock full of great meditations and can help you unwind from the day and get you ready for bed. Plus, this study even suggests that meditation and mindful awareness practices can help improve sleep quality – so why not give it a try?
Sleep Whispers
Shhhh … this podcast slows down your mind and gets you ready to sleep. A podcast featuring random history, food recipes, and more in nothing but a hushed whisper.
Classical Music Discoveries
This daily podcast has 30- to 90-minute episodes of pure classical, mood-enhancing music.
Try one or try them all – because you deserve a good night’s rest! Plus, check out this infographic with these podcasts and more to help you start snoozing soundly.
Special thanks to Casper for letting us use this helpful infographic!